WA storms: BOM warns of severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, flash flooding and hailstones
Updated
Severe thunderstorms in WA are likely to produce damaging winds and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and large hailstones, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
The affected areas include Central Wheat Belt and parts of the Gascoyne, Goldfields, South Interior and Central West districts.
Satellite imagery at 3:30pm showed a line of thunderstorms extending from Mukinbudin through to Laverton moving slowly south.
Torrential rain in recent days swelled waterways' banks and prompted an evacuation warning around the town of Northam, east of Perth.
The areas at risk include Kalgoorlie, Merredin, Moora, Eneabba, Laverton, Leinster, Leonora, Menzies, Morawa, Paynes Find, Southern Cross Wongan Hills and surrounding areas.
People in the Great Southern region are also warned to brace for severe weather including heavy rainfall and flash flooding that could damage homes and make travel dangerous.
The worst-affected areas were expected to be south of Hyden and Narrogin, down the south coast including Lake Grace, Lake King, Ravensthorpe, Jerramungup and surrounding areas.
Heavy rainfall overnight hit the area, with the BOM's gauge at Dragon Rocks recording 53 millimetres between midnight and 3:00am.
Residents were being told to avoid travel if possible, and stay out of the rivers and ocean.
People were also being asked not to drive through flooded areas as the true depth of floodwaters is not always clear.
Northam flooding warnings still in place, caution urged
The DFES this morning issued a warning to people in the Avon River catchment, including Mortlock River, and the towns of Northam, Beverley, York and Toodyay.
People were being urged to watch for changes in water levels, and to be ready to evacuate if required.
A temporary evacuation centre remains at the Northam Recreation Centre on the Henry Street Oval.
Photo:
Floodwaters surround a house in Muluckine, near Northam in WA. (ABC News: Courtney Bembridge)
"The Avon River at Beverley Bridge is currently at 1.44 metres and rising," a statement from DFES at 9:00am said.
"The river level may reach the major flood level (2.5m) Saturday afternoon."
Topics: floods, disasters-and-accidents, weather, wa, perth-6000, albany-6330, wagin-6315, northam-6401
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